Wrong House
by MizJade
Summary: Next-Gen. one-shot. James is disappointed when Albus doesn't get sorted into Gryffindor. Edited. New chapter added.
1. Slytherin!

**Disclaimer: **This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

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It was absolutely, and completely _unacceptable _and James refused to stand for it. A disgrace to their family name. No one in their family for _generations_ had been sorted into Slytherin house; and then, in one night, his own _brother_ managed to shatter that honorable standing. Then, as if pouring salt on the wound he was joined only moment's later by Roxanne?

Unacceptable.

He was pacing in front of the dying fire in Gryffindor Common room while his two best friends -Dominique Weasley and Emmeline Longbottom- watched warily.

"It's not _that_ bad." Emma said and beside her the blonde-haired beauty that was James' part-Veela cousin winced.

James rounded on them his eyes blazing "Every member of our family is a Gryffindor."

Dom rolled her eyes "Does Victoire not exist, or something?" she asked "Or Rose? She got sorted into Ravenclaw, and you haven't said a thing about that."

"That's different, though isn't it?" stated Fred Weasley – a handsome fifth year who sat in front one of the arm chairs that his cousin and best friend Molly Weasley was curled up on. "Ravenclaw is at least sort of respectable."

Dom glared over at him "Shut up, Freddie, you're not helping." she commanded, ignoring the fact that her cousin was three years older and much bigger.

Fred opened his mouth to say something -probably that he wasn't _trying_ to help- but shut it when Molly kicked him in the arm hard enough to shut him up, but not hard enough to hurt him. "Are you really surprised though, James? For Roxie, anyway. I mean...we all know what she's like." she ignored the look Fred shot her at the mention of his sister -of whom he was incredibly protective.

"Okay sure, fine, Rox is one thing." James agreed resuming his pacing. "But _Al_?" he shook his head "I mean the kid cries if someone looks at him the wrong way."

Everyone else in the room rolled their eyes at this statement. They all knew much better; Albus had not cried since he was a young boy...and certainly not in front of his brother. There was no use telling James this though.

"I'm disowning him." James announced firmly.

For once Dominique was the voice of reason when she said "Okay you cannot disown your own brother just because he didn't get sorted into the '_right'_ house. And two, what difference does it make?"

James stopped and looked at his cousin horrified "What _difference _does it make?" he gasped out "are you kidding me?"

"No, I'm not. It's not that big of a deal James, get over it." There were few people in the world that had the courage to argue with Dominique Weasley when she used _that_ tone and gave one _that_ look.

Unfortunately, James was one of those people. "It _is_ a big deal! He's my brother they'll _kill_ him in that house."

Everyone was silent for a moment, thinking that for once James was admitting how much he cared for his little brother, and that the real reason for his freak-out belonged was do to worry.

"Well... they're still Lily." James replied breaking the silence -like he hadn't even noticed there was one- "She'll be a Gryffindor for sure."

A collective groan went up around James two years later when his sister was sorted into Hufflepuff.


	2. Missions

They were only hear to punish him, James was sure of it.

Who in their right mind actually _wanted _garden gnomes to infest their garden unless it was to punish their children.

Slave labor, that's what it was. Whenever they got too bad, Ginny would find _something _James had done wrong that day and make him go de-gnome the garden.

He did have to admit, though, that he usually deserved it.

One would think that after years of practice the young prankster would have perfected the art, but no. The gnomes were tricky little devils and always managed to evade him.

To say James was having a bad day would have been a sever underestimate. It had started that morning when he had woken with a rather large hangover -that was the _last_ time he agreed to go drinking with Freddie- only to realize in his drunken idiocy he had been caught by his mother. James rather thought himself lucky he wasn't dead after the verbal beating his mother had given him about underage drinking. She had been too angry to give him a _real_ punishment yet so she had simply sent him out back.

And to top all of this off he _still _hadn't found out who had taken his badge or where they had hidden it. He now suspected that many of his cousins were in on it. He would ask Molly tomorrow, she always knew things.

That was when he saw _it _his captain's badge! He could have wept with joy!

...until he realized where it was and he almost _did_ cry.

"Bloody hell" he muttered glaring at the little gnome; the fastest and decidedly the most evil of the lot. James had named him Ernie after his fathers annoyingly pompous friend. Harry didn't know that but James really doubted he would be scolded for it.

The gnome giggled and took off running, James after it in a flurry of swearing.

When Harry came home that night he came into the kitchen to find two of his children and at least three of his nieces and nephews crowed around the kitchen window laughing. He followed their gazes he was met with the most curious scene.

James was running, tripping and jumping after a small garden gnome his wand out and a look of extreme determination and frustration on his face. From all appearances the gnome was winning.

"What's going on?" he asked.

The children turned grins still on their faces, "James found his badge" Albus informed his father gleefully and turned back to the scene.


End file.
